A MAGA Bomber Suspect Has Been Arrested After a Dozen Bomb Scares

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 26: Law enforcement officials respond to a suspicious package at a U.S. Post Office facility at 52nd Street and 8th Avenue in Manhattan, October 26, 2018 in New York City. The latest package device intercepted in New York City this morning was addressed to former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)Drew Angerer

During the last week, 10 prominent public figures were listed as addressees on a total of 12 packages containing suspected explosive devices, as reported by The Washington Post. All 12 of the devices, described as pipe bombs, were sent to either Democratic Party leaders or vocal critics of President Donald Trump.

On Friday, October 26, an arrest was made in connection with the mailed explosive devices, according to CNN. A 56-year-old man identified as Cesar Sayoc was arrested in Plantation, Florida, 20 miles from an address listed in his name in Aventura, Florida. According to NBC News, the suspect was apprehended thanks in part to DNA evidence; records indicate he is a registered Republican.

Referred to as the "#MAGAbomber" on Twitter before he was apprehended, images of the suspect's van appear to show support for President Trump in the form of political stickers praising him and attacking Democrats. According to The New York Times, public records show the suspect has a criminal history, including felony theft, drug charges, fraud charges, and an arrest tied to an accusation that he threatened to use a bomb.

On Monday, October 22, an employee of George Soros, the billionaire backer of Democrats who's been the subject of many conspiracy theories, found the first suspicious package. Then on Tuesday, October 23, the United States Secret Service intercepted another package at Bill and Hillary Clinton's home in Chappaqua, New York.

On Wednesday, October 24, five more packages were intercepted, as reported by the Post. One was addressed to President Barack Obama's home in Washington and intercepted there; the Secret Service said in a statement that the devices addressed to the Clintons and Obama were both "immediately identified during routine mail-screening procedures." Another package was addressed to former CIA director John Brennan and mailed to a CNN office in New York City.

A third package was discovered addressed to former Obama-era attorney general Eric Holder, but it was found at the office of former Democratic National Committee chair and current representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz's (D-FL) office; Wasserman Schultz's office was listed as the return address on several of the packages, as The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported. Also on Wednesday, two other packages were sent to Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA) — in Washington and Los Angeles.

On Thursday, October 25, three more devices were found. One was addressed to actor Robert De Niro in New York City, and two were sent to former vice president Joe Biden in Delaware. On Friday, October 27, another two packages were discovered: one for Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), which was intercepted at a Florida post office, and another addressed to former director of national intelligence James Clapper — Clapper's package, like Brennan's, was destined for CNN's New York office, but was discovered at a New York postal facility.

All of those targeted have been vocal critics of President Trump, who has in turn spoken out against many of them. The president's relationships with Obama and bothClintons are no secret, and he's been critical of Brennan's CIA tenure and CNN's coverage of his presidency. Trump has also tweeted about the conspiracy theories that Soros pays protesters, and repeatedly insulted Waters.

Law enforcement told The Daily Beast that the device found at CNN's office on October 24 was "crude but functional," as described by the NYPD. A retired Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) explosives investigator told CNN that, after studying an X-ray image of one the devices, he believed it contained hazardous material, but said the device might not have been capable of detonation.

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"What I'm not seeing is enough means to initiate this device, whether by design, whether by accident. I'm not seeing that," the former ATF explosives investigator said. "If I'm going by design, [if] it was designed that way, then the individual's motivation was simply to spread fear, instill fear."

According to what sources told NBC New York, several of the devices bear striking similarities.

The White House released a statement about the suspicious packages through Sarah Huckabee Sanders on October 24, saying in part, "These terrorizing acts are despicable, and anyone responsible will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law."

Editor's note: This story has been updated and refreshed from an original post published on October 24. It has been edited to reflect the most recent and accurate information available.